Ice vending machine



6 Sheets-Sheet 1 SEP- i3, 1966 w. H. HoENlscH ICE VENDING MACHINEOriginal Filed Aug. 5, 1962 Sept. 13, 1966 W. H. HOENlscH 3,272,300

ICE VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 5', 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Septli3, 1966 w. H. HoENlscH ICE VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 OriginalFiled. Aug. 3, 1962 INVENTOR. fer/ Haerinw ,v1-r zr/5',

c' dept 13, 966 w. H. HoENlscH 3,272,300

ICE VENDING MACHINE original File Aug. s, 1962 e sheets sh t 4 INVENTOR.f

Sept 13, 966 W. H. HoENlscH IUE VENDNG MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 OriginalFiled Aug. 5, 1962 INVENTOR.

Sept 13, 1966 w. H. HoENlscH ICE VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6Original Filed Aug. 5, 1962 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O M 3,272,300 ICE VENDING MACHINE Walter H.Hoenisch, Albert Lea, Minn., assignor to King- Seeiey Thermos Co., AnnArbor, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Continuation of application Ser.No. 214,666, Aug. 3, 1962. This application June 29, 1965, Ser. No.470,331 26 Claims. (Cl. 194-2) This invention relates to automatic icecube vending apparatus and more particularly to combined apparatus formanufacturing ice cubes, storing ice cubes, and dispensing predeterminedquantities of ice cubes in response to coin-generated signals. Thisapplication is a continuation of my prior application Serial No.214,666, led August 3, 1962.

Automatic vending machines are widely used to vend a variety ofarticles. This invention relates specifically to a vending machine forvending predetermined quantities of unpackaged ice cubes from a commonmass of ice cubes in a storage bin. The term ice cube is used in ageneric sence and is not intended as a geometrical limitation of the iceproducts which may be used with the present invention. It iscontemplated that the quantity of ice cubes in the storage bin will benormally replenished by automatic ice cube manufacturing apparatus ofconventional design associated with the vending machine. In addition,the ice cubes may be supplied to the storage bin from sources externalto the vending machine when necessary to meet demands beyond thecapacity of the automatic ice cube manufacturing apparatus.

In any event, the quantity of ice cubes in the storage bin will normallyvary over a period of time from a maximum amount under fully loadedconditions to a minimum amount under near empty conditions depending onthe demand `and the time required to replenish the supply. Accordingly,the freshness of the ice cubes in the storage bin will also vary. Theterm freshness is intended to mean the length of time that the ice cubeshave been stored in the storage bin. Even though the storage bin may berefrigerated, the ice cubes invariably melt to a certain extent becauseof external factors. Consequently, the size of the ice cubes in thestorage bin will likely vary depending on their freshness. Furthermore,the melting of the cubes results in a water drainage problem.

Another problem in storage of unpackaged ice cubes is the tendency ofthe ice cubes to adhere and become fused to one another. It is,therefore, necessary to provide means to agitate the stored ice cubes toprevent fusion. Since the ice cubes are relatively fragile and it isdesirable to dispense them with a minimum amount of breakage, the meansto agitate the ice cubes should be designed to eliminate as muchbreakage as possible. Therefore, a minimum amount of agitation ispreferable. In addition, unnecessary agitation or movement of the icecubes to prevent fusion may also result in increased melting because offriction and the like. Furthmore, continuous agitation or movementrequires continuous operation of the apparatus and, therefore, resultsin increased wear and resultant maintenance. Another problem related toagitation of the ice cubes is the necessity to agitate all the storedice cubes. Consequently, the vending apparatus should be associated withthe storage bin so that all of the ice cubes to be stored will be heldin the storage bin for agitation therein and completely separated fromall ofthe ice cubes to be dispensed during a particular vending cycle.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide ice cubevending apparatus incorporating agitating and dispensing means whichwill be capable of vending a 3,272,390 Patented Sept. 13, 1966predetermined quantity of ice cubes of varying freshness without excesswater or breakage or ice fusion.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide ice cube vendingapparatus having ice cube storage means defined by movable ice cubesupport means and fixed ice cube coniining means, and having drive meansto cause movement of the movable ice cube support means relative to theiixed ice Cube confining means resulting in dispensing of apredetermining quantity of ice cubes a'nd/ or agitation of the ice cubesin the storage means suflicient to prevent fusion. A further object isto provide ice cube vending apparatus having means to intermittentlyagitate ice cubes in a storage area.

Another specific object is to provide a combination ice cube dispensingand ice cube agitating means which is operable in response to a coingenerated signal to dispense ice cubes and is operable intermittently inresponse to a control singal to agitate ice cubes without dispensingthereof.

Another object is to provide a combination ice cube dispenser fordispensing unpackaged ice cubes from a storage bin and an associated bagdispensing unit for dispensing packaging means which may be utilized toreceive the ice cubes as they are dispensed.

A further object is to provide an ice cube vending machine havingimproved construction promoting cleanliness and sanitation. To this endit is proposed to provide storage and delivery apparatus formed from aplastic material having the characteristic of rejecting dirt and stains.

Still another object is to provide an ice cube dispensing device havinga simplified control system requiring a minimum number of electricalcomponents.

Another object of the present invention is to provide ice cubemanufacturing apparatus having a unique arrangement for delivering icecubes from a storage bin to a measuring chute without any accompanyingwater and with a mixture of cubes of varying sizes and freshness.

A further object is to provide ice cube delivering means for use in anice cube vending machine which operates in a manner facilitatingdrainage of Water from the cubes and agitation of the cubes to preventfreezing to one another.

Still another object is to provide ice cube delivering means for usewith an ice cube dispenser capable 0f measuring a quantity of ice to bedispensed by volume rather than by weight.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide combinationstorage means and ice cube dispensing means for use in an ice cubevending machine which will reduce loss in volume of ice cubes due `toevaporation and melting by storing the ice cubes in a novel manner andintermittently agitating the ice cubes in a manner preventing fusion ofthe cubes with a minimum of agitation.

Another object is to provide ice cube vending apparatus which willuniformly vend predetermined quantities of ice cubes when the storagebin associated therewith is full and also when the storage bin is nearlyempty even to the last full load of ice cubes available in the storagebin.

Still another object is to provide ice cube vending apparatus in Whichthe volume of ice cubes delivered in a vending cycle may be readilyvaried by the machine owner.

A further object of the present invention is to provide controlcircuitry for an ice cube vending machine which will prevent opening ofthe vending chute during delivery of ice cubes from the storage bin andwhich will return the customers coins unless a predetermined volume ofice cubes have been delivered.

The aforementioned objects, and others, have been attained by theapplication of the principles of the present invention in anillustrative embodiment of an ice cube vending machine as shown on theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

' FIGURE 1 is a front elevational View, with portions broken away, of anice cube vending machine incorporating the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the machineshown in FIG. 1; Y

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 5 5 in FIG.4; Y

FIGURE 6 is a partial side elevational view, in section, of a portion ofthe machine shown in FIG. 2 in an alternative operational position;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the machine ofFIG. 1;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the portions of the machineshown in FIG. 7 in another operational position; and

FIGURE 9 is a circuit diagram illustrating the operational sequence ofthe machine.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the subject vending machine comprises asubstantially rectangular metallic outer casing 10 having conventionalice cube making apparatus 12 mounted on the top thereof andcommunicating through an ice cube delivery opening 14 with a centrallylocated ice cube storage bin 16 therebelow. A drive motor 17 and acondenser unit 18 are mounted below the storage bin 16 at the bottom ofthe machine to provide for maximum stability. The front panel 20 of thecasing is provided with an ice cube vending chute cavity 22, aconventional coin receiving chute and return mechanism 24, and a bagdispenser cavity 26. The bag dispenser unit is described in detail incopending application Serial Number 214,667, iiled August 3, 1962, forBag Dispensing Apparatus. The ice cube maker 12 periodicallymanufactures ice cubes in a conventional manner and delivers themthrough the opening 14 into the storage bin 16 to maintain apredetermined supply of ice cubes therein. The level of ice cubes in thebin will vary depending on the demand for ice cubes and the timerequired to replenish the supply.

As shown in FIG. 2, the storage bin may be formed by metallic innerpartition walls 30, 31 and is insulated from the rest of the machine bya urethane foam ller 32 or the like. The partition provides asubstantially vertical rear Wall 33, a flat bottom wall 34, an inclinedfront wall 36, and a diagonally extending top wall 38 which extendssubstantially transversely relative to the inclined front wall 36. SideWalls connect the front and rear walls and an inwardly extendingtransverse flange shown at 39 and 40, is secured to the partition wall30. The inner edge 41 of the flange terminates in a substantiallycircular opening lying in a plane parallel to the inclined front Wall36. A plastic liner 42, 43 overlies all of the partition wall so thatice cubes in the storage bin will have contact only with the plasticmaterial. In some cases the plastic liner may be mounted directly overthe insulation material. A satisfactory plastic material is white linearpolyethylene which has the characteristic of rejecting dirt and stains.A water basin and drainage outlet 44 are provided in the lower portionof the storage bin `and communicate with a sump (not shown). A deliverychute cavity 45 is provided in the inclined front wall 36 near the upperend thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, combination .ice cube agitating anddispensing means in the form of a rotatable drum 50 and a controlshutter 52 are rotatably mounted in and form part of the storage bin 16.The drum provides an ice cube elevator and agitator assembly,

and may be made of a white plastic material, such as linearpolyethylene, having smooth radius corners to promote cleanliness. Insome cases other materials such as anodized aluminum may besatisfactorily utilized. The drum is substantially cup-shaped having abottom wall 54 which extends substantially parallel to the inclinedfront wall 36 and an oppositely located circular opening 55 dened by arim portion 56. The side wall of the drum is formed by a series ofstepped and inclined surfaces 57, 58, 60. The rim portion 56 is providedwith a radially outwardly extending flange 62 which is adapted to beclosely spaced relative to the end 41 of the ilange 39, 40 to preventpassage of ice cubes therebetween but to also provide a drain passagefor water accumulating in theV storage bin.

A hub housing 64 is integrally formed in the center of the bottom wall54 by a conical wall portion 66 which connects radially extending endwall portions 68, 70. The end wall portion 70 terminates in acylindrical side wall portion 72 to define a ange cavity. A plurality ofoutwardly projecting hollow ribs 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 are equally spacedaround the periphery of the hub housing and a plurality oflongitudinally extending drainage slots 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, areprovided at spaced intervals between the ribs in the side wall of thedrum. As shown in FIG. 5 with reference to rib 76, each of the ribscomprises a conical portion 87 extending inwardly from the end wallportion 68 along the conical wall portion 66, a radially outwardlyextending portion 88 extending across the bottom wall 54, and anoutwardly extending portion 89 extending along the side wall of thedrum.

The side wall 72 is longitudinally outwardly extended along an arc ofyapproximately 90 to form an arcuate bottom wall portion 90. A generallyradially outwardly extending yabutment Wall 92 is integrally connectedto the bottom wall portion 90 and the bottom wall 54. An outer side wall94 connects the bottom wall 90 and the abutment wall 92, and forms anice cube scoop means therewith. The rear (relative to the direction ofrotation of the drum) portion 96 of the outer side wall 94 adjacent thewall 92 extends radially outwardly the full length thereof and the majorcircumferentially extending front portion 98 of the outer side Wall 94extends radially outwardly a comparatively shorter distance in asomewhat L-shaped pattern. An ice cube dispensing slot 100 is formed inthe bottom wall 54 behind the scoop means and extends arcuatelytherewith from an edge 102 closely adjacent the abutment wall 92 to anedge 104 spaced rearwardly of the lead-ing edge 106 of the scoop means.Hollow ribs 107, 108, 109 terminate at the bottom wall 90 of the scoopmeans. The rib 109 is connected by a portion of reduced cross section tothe rim of the drum. Suitable reinforcement em'bossments 110, 111 may beprovided on the bottom wall 54.

The drum is xedly mounted on a hub member 112 made -from a lightweightmaterial such as aluminum and provided with a plurality of projectingsolid ribs 114 adapted to be received Within the hollow ribs of thedrum. The hub has a conical side surface 116 adapted to match theconical side surface 66 of the drum and ter- :minates in a ange portion118 adapted to be snuggly received within the flange cavity defined bythe annular side wall 72. The drum is secured to the hub by a pluralityof bolt members 120 and steel inserts integrally cast in the hub in aconventional manner. A spline means in a central bore 121 of the hub isadapted to receive a drive s-haft 122 which iixedly supports the drumand imparts rotary motion thereto. The shaft 122 extends through abearing plate 124 which freely rotatably mounts the shutter 52 on theshaft and through a bear-ing unit 126 of conventional design which isixedly mounted in the inclined side wall of the storage bin. Referringto FIG. 2, the drum is thereby mounted in a xed position within thestorage bin for rotational movement therein in the direction of thearrows 128. A coll-ar 130 secures the drive shaft 122 in place and aplurality of timing cams 132 and associated switches 134 may be mountedin any suitable manner for control of the machine operation in responseto rotational position of the drum as hereinafter described. The drumdrive shaft 122 is connected through suitable gearing 136, 138 to adrive shaft 140 of the motor 17.

In the illustrative embodiment, the shutter 52 comprises an annularplate lof sheet metal or the like which is freely rotatably mountedrelative to the shaft 122 and the drum by the bearing plate 124 betweenthe bottom wall 54 of the drum and the inclined front wall '36 of thestorage bin. The shutter is closely spaced in substantial abutting.slidable engagement with the bottom wall of the drum. 'Referring now toFIG. 3, the shutter 52 is provided with a pair of oppositely locatedslots 142, 144 which extend circumferentially through areas ofapproximately 45. Shutter control mechanisms 146, 148 are provided onthe shutter adjacent each iof the slots 142, 144 and are displacedrearwardly (relative to the direction of drum rotation) approximately Asshown in FIGS. 3, 7 and 8, the control mechanisms comprise oppositelylocated latch shelves 150, 152 which terminate in abutment surfaces 154,155 facing opposite to the direction of rotation of t-he drum. Stops156, 157 are iixedly secured to the outer side surface of the shutterbelow each of the latch shelves and provide -abutment surfaces 158, 159which face the direction of the drum rotation.

The shutter control mechanism further comprises latch means 160 xedlymounted on the drum approximately 45 in front (relative to the directionof drum rotation) of the leading edge 104 of the slot 108. Referring nowto FIGS. 7 and `8, the latch means comprises a latch bar 161 which ispivotally supported by bracket means 162, 164 on the side wall of thedrum. The latch bar is con :stantly biased into engagement with theperiphery 165 of the shutter by spring means 166. 'Ihe nose portion 168`of the latch bar is adapted to Ebe depressed onto the shelves 150, 152and into abutting engagement with the surfaces 154, 155 at predeterminedintervals during rotation of the drum.

Latch release means 178 are xed to a portion 180 of the machine frameadjacent the outer peripheries of the drum and shutter in a positionlocated approximately 40 in front of (relative to the direction yof drumrotation) top dead center at 181 in FIG. l. The latch release meanscomprises a latch release arm 182 which is pivoted to the frame portion180 by breacket means 183, 184. The end of the latch release arm isprovided with a latch engaging cam surface 188 which terminates in anabutment surf-ace 190 facing opposite the direction of movement ofthedrum. The latch release arm is movable between a lowered shutter releaseposition, shown in FIG. 7, and a raised latch release and shutter holdposition shown in FIG. 8. A control solenoid 192 is iixedly mountedrelative to the latch release arm and is controllably connected theretoby 4an armature member 194. A snap-in roller 196 mounted in a slot 198in a spring plate 20) is provided to maintain the latch release arm int-he lowered and raised positions. It may be seen that the drum isdrivingly engageable with the shutter through engagement of the latchbar 161 with one of the shelf abutment surfaces 154, 155. After drivingengagement of Ithe drum with the shutter, the shutter rotates with thedrum until the latch release arm is raised and engages the latch arm.The cam surface 1188 is contoured to raise the latch arm over theabutment surfaces 154, 155 and to provide a positive stop by engagementof the abutment surface 190 with one of the stop members 156 or 157.Accordingly, the shutter can be selectively rotated between fixedpositions. It is contemplated that other shutter arrangements may beutilized. For example, it will be obvious, that the shutter means may beprovided by a plate fixed relative to the drum with the drum beingvariously positioned relative to .an vice cube dispensing passage in theplate.

lReferring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a Vending chute 210 is fixedly securedin the machine `frame and extends inwardly through the inclined frontwalls 36 of the storage bin at substantially right angles to Itheshutter 52 and the bottom wall 54 of the drum. The upper end of thechute 210 terminates in a substantially at face 212 lying closelyadjacent the shutter 52 and having yan opening 214 substantiallycorresponding to the configuration of the openings 142, 144 in theshutter. The chute opening 214 is located at top dead center 181 of drumrotation. The central portion 216 of the chute is offset and extendsdownwardly and outwardly to the top of the ice dispensing cavity 22. Thelower end 218 of the chute extends into the cavity 22 as shown in FIGURE2 and `is connected to a dispensing unit 220 mounted in the cavity.

The dispensing unit 220 comprises a plate member 222 having supportbracket means 224 provided on the lower end and an ice cube dispensingcavity 226 integrally formed in the upper end. The upper end otf the icecube dispensing cavity is adapted to be connected directly to and form acontinuation of the lower end 2l18 of the dispensing chute 210. Anescutcheon plate 228 is provided at the top of the dispensing -unit andhas a glass viewing window 229 or the like through which the interior ofthe dispensing chute may be viewed. A gate member 231 is pivotallymounted at 232 for movement from a chute closing position, shown in FIG.2, to a chute opening position shown in FIG. 6r. Spring means areprovided to -bias the gate to the closed position. The gate 231 issubstantially U-shaped in cross section and is provided with an arcuatebottom wall 233 which extends between substantially triangular sidewalls 234, -2-35. An ice ycube delivery opening 236 is provided at thefront end of the gate and has a flange or lip 238 provided around theperiphery thereof to receive and locate bag means for packaging icecubes to be delivered from the machine. The bracket means 224 may beprovided with a bag seat 240 on its upper surface to help support a bagduring dispensing and packaging of -ice cubes. A portion 244 of theplate member 2122 of the dispensing unit is inclined and positioned atright angles to and prowides a st-op for the rear end 246 of the gate inits o-pen position `as shofwn in FIG. 6. The gate opening 2%36 isconnected t-o the lower end of the chute 210 by means o-f a variablypositionable volume control plates 250, 252. The plate 250 is adapted to-be replaced or repositioned as sho-wn at 254 to vary the volume of thecavity 226 connecting the gate opening 236 with the lower end 218 of thechute 2,10. A portion of the plate 250 is formed from a translucentmaterial 2156 to enable the contents off the dispensing cavity to beviewed through the windoiw 230. In this manner the volume of ice cubesreceivable in the chute means from the storage b-in for delivery to acustomer can be va-ried by the machine owner. A gate latch in the formolf a solenoid 260 and a solenoid controlled latch pin 262 may bemounted adjacent the dispensing unit to lock the gat-e 232 in the upperchute closing position, as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, a chute tf'ullswitch 264 may be suitably positioned in the chute to give an indicationas to lwhether a suflicient quantity of ice has been placed in thedelivery chute to provide a full bag of ice for the customer.

Referring now to FIG. 9, an illustrative circuit diagram is shown. Thecoin collection and return mechanism 24 is conventional in design and iswell understood by those skilled in the vending art without a detaileddescription. Consequently, only a schematic representation of thatmechanism is provided. In general, the coin collection and returnmechanism comprises a series of contacts A, B, C, D, E, F which areconnected in a novel manner as hereinafter described. The controlcircuit of the present invention utilizes a minimum number of parts andprovides an arrangement whereby a full measure of ice cubes will alwaysbe delivered in response to coin generated signals without fusion of theice cubes to one an other, without an excessive amount f water, and witha mixture of cubes of varying freshness.

One of the primary purposes of the present control circuitry is toprovide for intermittent rotation of the drum and agitation of the icecubes stored in the storage bin without any dispensing of ice cubes.When a predetermined time period has elapsed after the last vendingcycle or the last intermittent agitation of the ice cubes, the drum isautomatically rotated through at least 360. To this end, an electricalsource 300 is connected by a line 302 and a line 304 to a conventionaltimer 306. The timer 306 is connected as indicate-d at 308 to a switch310 and is adapted to actuate the switch 310 after the elapse of apredetermined time interval between rotations of t-he drum. Switch 310is adapted to complete a circuit through lines 312, 314 and a switch 316of a relay 318 t0 a line 320. A line 326 connects line 320 to the coil322 of a relay 324. The line 320 is also connected to a line 328 and aline 330 4through a switch 332. The switch 332 forms part of the timingcam switch unit 134 and is adapted to be actuated by a timing cam 334 ofthe timing cam unit 132 in a predetermined position of rotation of thedrum. The drum driving motor 17 is connectable by a line 336 and aswitch 338 of the relay 324 to a line 340 which is connected to thesource 300 through the line 302.

When timing cycle is initiated at the completion of each vending cycleand when the timer times out after a predetermined interval followingthe last rotational movement of the drum 50, the switch 310 is closed toconnect the lines 312 and 320, and energize the coil 322 of the relay324. The switches of the relay 324 are actuated to the dotted positionsshown and the motor 17 is energized Aby the source 300 through the line302, the line 340, the switch 338, and the line 336. The drum motor 17drives the drum through the motor shaft 140, the bevel gearing 136, 138and the drive shaft 122. Actuation of the relay 324 by the timer 306also energizes a holding circuit comprising a line 342, a switch 344 ofthe relay 324, the line 330, the switch 332, the line 328 and the line326. The timer switch 310 opens as the timer continues, but the coil 322remains energized through the holding circuit. As the drum is rotated,the timing cam 334 is also rotated and opens the switch 332 after apredetermined amount of drum rotation. In the preferred embodiment it isdesired to move the drum through a full rotation of 360. When the switch332 is opened, the holding circuit for the relay 324 is deenergized andthe switch 338 is returned to its normal position to causedeenergization of the drive motor 17.

A dispensing cycle of the apparatus is initiated by the presence of oneor more coins 350 which complete a circuit through the coin receivingunit 24 and connect a line 352 from the source 300 to a line 354.Energization of the line 354 causes energization of the coil 356 of therelay 318 through relay switch 358, line 360 and line 361. Line 360 isconnected through a make-before-break switch 362 to a line 364.Energization of the coil 356 actuates the relay 318 and moves theswitches 316, 358 to the dotted position. A holding circuit is formed bythe line 314, the switch 316, a line 366, the line 364, the switch 362,the line 360 and the line 361. The drum drive motor 17 is energized fromthe line 364 through a line 368, a switch 370 of the chute gate lockmeans 260, a line 372, the switch 338 and the line 336. Energization ofthe line 372 through the switch 370 also results in energization of asolenoid 374 which moves a latch pin into engagement with the gate 231and maintains the gate in the chute closing position during rotation ofthe drum. If the gate is not locked in the closed position, the switch370 cannot close and the motor 17 will not be energized.

Simultaneous with the energization of motor 17 through the line 372, aline 370 is energized through the line 342 and the switch 344 toenergize the latch bar solenoid 1192 through a line 371-8, and a timingcam switch 380. The switch 380 is associated with a timing cam 382 andeac-h forms part of the timing cam and switch units 132, 134. As thedrum rotates the timing cam 382 causes actuation of the switch 380 at apredetermined position of the drum to locate the shutter in apredetermined manner relative to the drum and to the dispensing chute210. When the switch 380 is actuated the solenoid 192 is energized.Actuation of the solenoid 192 moves the latch release arm 182 upwardlyto displace the latch bar from engagement with the shutter and preventfurther movement of the shutter relative to the drum by engagement ofthe abutment surfaces 159 and 190.

The drum continues to rotate until a complete dispensing cycle ha-s beencompleted at which time a timing cam 384 actuates the make-before-fbreakswitch 362. The timing cam 384 first causes energization of a line 386from line 360. The line 386 is connected by a switch 368 of the chutefull control 264 to a line 390 when the chute is full. The line 390 isconnected to a coin release device 392 which releases the coin 350 to acoin collection box. If there is insuflicient ice in the chute toactuate the chute fuI mechanism, the switch 388 Will be connected to aline 394 and actuate a coin release and return device 396 to return thecoin to the customer. Continued instantaneous movement of the timing cam384 subsequently breaks the connection between line 3160 and line 364 todisable the holding circuit for the relay 3118 and causesdeenergizaztion of the coil 356 to return the switches 316 and 358 tothe normal positions.

In addition to the aforementioned controls, circuits responsive to thesupply of ice cubes in the storage bin are also provided. A line 400 isconnected to the line 302 and is adapted to energize a light 402indicating proper operational conditions in the vending machine througha control switch 404 of a storage bin control 406. The storage bincontrol mayV be of any conventional type indicating the fullness of thebin. When the bin has an insufficient supply of ice cubes to dispensethe proper volume, the switch 404 will be actuated to the dottedposition to connect the line 400 to a line 405 to actuate a coin releaseand return device 408, and prevent the initiation of a vending cycle.

Operation In operation of the subject vending machine, a quantity of icecubes is stored in the storage bin 16 between the plastic liner and thedrum 50. A quantity of bags is stored in the machine and the bags areadapted to be dispensed one at a time through the bag dispenser 26.'When a suflicien-t number of ice cubes are present in the storage bin16 to provide ,a full measure for a vending cycle, the Vending cyclewill be initiated by the deposit of the appropriate coin or coins inythe coin chute 24. At the start of a vending cycle the apparatus is inthe position shown in FIG. 1 with the .shutter slots 142, 144 located attop dead center and bottom dead center respectively. The latch assembly160 is located at the bottom of the drum in the lower left hand quadrantas viewed in FIG. 1. The latch bar 161 is biased downwardly onto theshelf 150 and is in .abutting engagement with the side Surface I154 ofthe shelf. rPhe latch release bar 182 is in its lowered position as seenin FIG. 7 to permit the stop 157 to rotate foriwardly thereover.

The rear edge 102 of the opening 100 in the bottom wall of the drum andthe rear portions of the scoop means are located approximately `30"forwardly of top dead center. In this position t'he abutment wall 92 ofthe scoop means extends substantially vertically and the bottom wallthereof curves downwardly. Consequently, any water accumulating on thescoop means will drain to the bottom of the drum. The dispensing chute210 is com- 9 piletely empty and the gate 231 is in the closed positionshown in FIG. 2 whereat lthe latch pin 262 extends inwardly intolatching engagement with t-he gate.

When the coins have been properly deposited, the drum motor 17 isenergized as hereinbefore described. The motor rotates `the drum in thedirections of the arrows y128 by means of the shafts 122, 140 and thebevel gears `136, 138. As the drum rotates, the shutter which is freelyrotatably mount-ed relative to the drum and the shaft 122, is causedtherewith by the driving engagement of the latch bar 161 with theabutment surface 154 of the shelf 150'. The scoop means starts from theposition shown in FIG. l and is rotated downwardly through Athe mass ofice cubes in the `storage bin. As the scoop means moves through the massof ice cubes, all of the stored cubes throughout the storage bin areagitated and Iare continuously displaced and replaced in the areaimmediately in front of the scoop. The shutter provides a completeclosure for the drum opening 100 during the rotation. As the drumrotates any excess water is continually drained through the drain slots79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 in the side wall of the drum to the bottom ofthe storage bin and to `a suitable receptacle through the passage 44. Asthe scoop means is iilled with cubes during rotation through the bottomportion of the storage Ibin, the open downwardly facing initial positionof the iscoop means is changed to an upwardly facing position whereatice cwbes will be trapped within the scoop means against the abutmentwall 92.

It should be noted that the lowermost point in the :storage bin isdefined by the bottom wall and the side wall of the drum. Consequently,the subject apparatus is capable -of dispensing a full load of ice cubesas long as there are suiiicient ice cubes in the storage bin. In otherwords, as the amount of ice cubes in the storage .bin is reduced theremaining cubes will accumulate in the drum at the bottom of the storagebin. Consequently, when the drum is rotated and the scoop means passesthrough the lowermost portion of the storage bin, all of the availableice cubes will be trapped in Ithe scoop means and carried upwardlythereby. Furthermore, as the scoop means are rotated upwardly the excesswater which ymay accumulate in the bottom of the drum will drain iawaytherefrom during Ithe upward movement. The abutment wall 9.2 of thescoop means is slightly inclined downwardly during such movement tofacilitate drainage. 'T-he drainage slots in the drum are operative atall positions of rotation of the drum to insure complete drainage. Thusone of the prime advantages of the present apparatus is the top deliveryfeature whereby complete drainage of the ice cubes in the storage bin isattained.

As the drum rotates upwardly the lowermost shutter opening 142 precedesthe drum opening 100 and the shutter driving latch bar 161. As the drumis rotated Iupwardly, the solenoid 192 is actuated by its associatedtiming cam 382 to move the latch release bar 182 to its uppermostposition shown in FIG. 8. In the upper position of the latch release bar182, the abutment surface 190 is in alignment with the abutment surfaces154, 159 of the stops 156, 157. In addition, the cam surface 188 is inalignment with the nose portion 168 of the latch bar. As the drum passesthe latch release means, the latch bar 161 is cammed out of drivingengagement with the abutment surface 154 on the shelf 150 of the shutterand the shutter is brought to rest in a predetermined position byengagement of the abutment surfaces 154 and 190. In the predeterminedposition, the shutter opening 142 is exactly aligned with the chuteopening 214 at top dead center. The drum is continuously rotated andcontinues to move a load of ice cubes trapped on the scoop means towardsthe aligned openings 142 and 214. As the leading edge 104 of the drumopening 100 reaches the openings 142 and 214, ice cubes trapped by thescoop means are displaced through the aligned openings into the chute210. The drum continues to rotate and ice cubes are continuouslydisplaced through the aligned openings until the chute 210 is completelyiilled. The trailing edge 102 of the drum opening subsequently passesthe chute opening and the shutter opening, and the drum continues torotate until the scoop means and the drum openings return to theposition shown in FIG. 1. At that time, one of the timing cams 384actuates a switch 362 to deenergize the drum motor. All of the ice cubesare at this time either completely displaced into the vending chute orcompletely displaced back into the storage bin by the shearing action ofthe trailing edge of the drum as it moves past the shutter opening andthe chute opening. Accordingly, it may be seen that the drum rotates 360for each 180 rotation of the shutter. It may be observed that, when theshutter plate 52 is fixed, the bottom wall of the drum rotates thereoverwith the ice cube dispensing slot being closed by the plate until theice cube dispensing slot 100 becomes aligned with the vending chuteopening 214 and the connecting slot in the plate. Thus, the shutterplate 52 is effectively a fixed portion of the ice cube storage :binduring the dispensing cycle and acts as a shutter means by closing thedispensing slot 100` in the drum until the dispensing slot 100 becomesaligned with the vending chute opening 214.

After the drum has completed its rotation and providing that asuiiicient number of ice cubes have been dispensed to the chute 210 toactuate the chute full switch 264 and release the coins to thecollection box, the chute latch solenoid 374 is deenergized to retractthe latching pin 262. Simultaneously with the dispensing cycle of theice cubes, a plastic bag for packaging the ice cubes is dispensedthrough the bag dispensing unit 26 as described in the before mentionedcopending application. The customer takes the bag from the bag dispenserand fits the bag around the lip 238 on the gate 231. The customer can atthis time see the ice cubes in the vending chute through the window 229and the translucent material 256. The customer pivotally displaces thegate downwardly until the stop 246 engages the rear wall 244 as shown inFIG. 6. At this time all of the cubes in the chute are dispensed intothe bag. When the cubes have been dispensed the customer releases thegate 238 which is returned by a biasing spring to its closed positionwhereat the latch pin 262 is movable into locking engagement with thegate.

If it is desired to vary the amount of ice delivered to the vendingchute, control plate 250 at the bottom of the chute may be repositionedor replaced by the machine owner with plates having varying peripheralconfigurations which vary the volume of the dispensing chute.Consequently, during a vending cycle when the drum is rotated past theshutter opening and the chute opening, only a predetermined quantity ofice cubes can 4be dispensed before the chute will be filled.

If the machine is not operated within a predetermined time, such as anhour, the timer 306 will time out and energize the drum motor 17 tocanse a complete revolution of the drum. During the periodic ice cubeagitating rotation of the drum every hour, or other predetermined timeinterval, the latch is not released by actuation of solenoid 192 andtherefore the relative positions of the drum and the shutter remain thesame throughout the rotation. Accordingly, no ice cubes are dispensedand the shutter provides a backup wall behind the drum opening 100 atall times. The periodic rotation of the drum prevents the ice cubes fromfreezing and fusing to one another. In addition, freshly made ice cubesat the top of the storage bin are dispersed throughout the storage binso that cubes of varying freshness will be dispensed at the nextdispensing cycle.

Since the principles of the present invention have obvious applicationin alternative embodiments and may be utilized in varying manners, it isintended that the scope ice cube agitating and dispensing means providedin said storage bin means and forming a part of the ice cube storagearea enclosure and including the lowermost portions of said storage binmeans, whereby all of the icel cubes in said storage bin, means are atleast partially supported by said ice cube agitating and dispensingmeans and are subject to agitation during movement thereof, ice cubevending means communicating with said storage bin means at a pointspaced above the lowermost portions of said storage bin means andadapted to receive predetermined quantities of ice cubes from saidstorage bin means, and power means to actuate said ice cube agitatingand dispensing means and move ice cubes from said storage bin means intosaid ice cube vending means by movement of ice rcubes from the lowermostportions of said storage bin means upwardly to said point spacedthereabove.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 and wherein said ice cubeagitating and dispensing means comprises a drum, support means rotatablysupporting said drum for rotation relative to and within said storagebin means, scoop means carried by said drum in a position adapted tolift ice cubes from the lowermost portions of said storage bin means tothe point spaced thereabove whereat said vending means communicates withthe ice cube storage area in said storage bin means.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 and wherein said ice cu'beagitating and dispensing means comprises a drum having a central wallportion and a side wall portion forming part of said storage bin means,said side wall portion terminating in a rim portion defining a drumcavity opening into the ice cube storage area of said storage bin means,drum rotating means rotatably supporting said drum for rotation relativeto said storage bin means about a central axis of said drum, saidcentral axis being inclined relative to a vertical axis and locatingsaid drum in an inclined position whereat the central wall portion andside wall portion of the drum intersect a vertical axis passing throughthe intersection thereof at an acute angle and whereat the intersectionof the lowermost portions of the bottom wall and the side wall forms thelowermost point in the storage bin means, and ice cube scoop meansprovided on said drum to carry ice -cubes from the lowermost point tosaid ice cube vending means as said drum is rotated.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 and wherein said drum is madefrom a plastic material having the characteristics of rejecting dirt andstains, and said storage bin means having plastic liner means made froma plastic material having the characteristics of rejecting dirt andstains and forming all of the inside ice cube contacting surfaces of theice cube storage area provided by said storage means.

5. The invention as defined in claim 3 and wherein drainage means areprovided below Ksaid drum and said storage bin means, and drain slotmeans formed in said drum and providing a drain passage at the lowermostpoint of said drum during rotation thereof. 6. The invention as definedin claim 3 and wherein said scoop means comprises an arcuatecircumferentially extending wall extending outwardly from the centralwall of said drum toward the ice cube storage area, and a substantiallyradially extending abutment wall intersecting said arcuate wall andextending outwardly from the central wall of said drum toward the icecube storage area.

7. The invention asF defined in claim Y6 and having an arcuatelyextending dispensing slot formed in the central wall of said drumadjacent said scoop means, and shutter means closing said dispensingslot to the passage of ice cubes until said dispensing slot is locatedopposite said ice cube vending means whereat said dispensing slot isconnected to said ice cube vending means to permit ldispensing of licecubes into said ice cube vending means from the storage area of saidstorage bin means with said dispensing slot in 4an open condition.

8. Ice cube dispensing apparatus for simultaneously dispensing aquantity of ice cubes comprising storage bin means providing anice cubestorage area, movable ice cube agitating and dispensing means provided-in said storage bin means and forming part of the ice cube storage areaenclosure including the lowermost portions of said storage bin meanswhereby the ice cubes in said storage bin means are at least partiallysupported by said ice cube agitating and dispensing means and aresubject to agitation during movement thereof, said movable ice cubeagitating and dispensing means having means to support and carry anumerable amount of ice cubes toward a dis- Ipensing position, ice cubedispensing means communicating with said storage bin means at a pointspaced above the lowermost portions of said storage bin means adapted toreceive a numerable amount of ice cubes from said storage bin means, andmeans to actuate said ice cube agitating and dispensing means to move anumerable amount of ,ice cubes from said storage bin means into said icecube dispensing means. Y

9. In an ice cube vending machine, ice cube storage means providing anice cube storage space, rotatable drum side wall portion formed by saiddrum means, dispensingV means connecting the ice cube storage space tosaid vending chute means through said drum means, and4 ice cube deliverymeans associated. with said drum means to deliver ice cubes from saidstorage space to and through said dispensing means during rotation ofsaid drum means.

10. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein the side wall and bottomwall portions of said storage space formed by said drum means arelocated at and form the lowermostportion of the storage space wherebyall the -ice cubesv 1n said sto-rage space are at least partiallysupported there-A by and said ice cube delivery means including ascoopmovable with said drum means through said lowermost portion todeliver ice cubes of varying freshness to said vending chute means fromvarious portions of said storage space including said lowermost portion.

11. An ice cube vending machine comprising ice cube storage meansproviding an ice cube storage area, ice cube manufacturing meansconnected with said storage means and being operable to deliverquantities of ice cubes to said storage means for storage in saidstorage area, drum means forming part of the confining walls of saidstorage means, drum support means movably supporting said `drum meansfor movement relative to said storage means, said drum means beingsupported and located -in a position providing the lowermost point insaid storage means whereat ice cubes in said storage area arecontinually directed onto said drum means toward the lowermost point, anice cube outlet provided in said storage means and being spacedvertically above the lowermost point, scoop means associated with saiddrum means =to move a quantity of ice cubes from the lowermost point tothe ice cube outlet, an ice cube discharge port provided in said drummeans and being alignable with said ice cube outlet during portions ofthe movement of said drum means relative to said storage means, shuttermeans associated with said drum means to open and close said ice cubedischarge port relative to said ice cube outlet at predeterminedintervals during drum movement, vending chute means communicating withsaid ice cube outlet and adapted to receive predetermined quantities ofice cubes from said storage means when said ice discharge port isaligned with said ice cube outlet, and gate means provided at the end ofsaid vending chute means and being movable from a chute closing positionfor Storing a predetermined quantity 'of ice cubes in said chute meansto a c-hute opening position for vending said predetermined quantity ofice cubes.

12. The invention as defined in claim 11 and having an ice cube vendingunit mounted in said machine and including a vending cavity connected tosaid vending chute means, said gate means being mounted over the lowerportion of said vending cavity, a bag support provided in said vendingunit and being spaced below said gate means, and bag locating meansprovided on said gate means to receive the upper open end of a bagsupported on said bag support in the chute opening position forreceiving the predetermined quantity of ice cubes in said vending chute.

13. The invention as defined in claim 11 and wherein said gate meanscomprises a substantially U-shaped channel member having a centralportion connecting substantially parallel leg portions, pivot meansconnected to said leg portions and mounting said gate means in pivotalsliding relationship with the lower end of said vending cavity, and saidcentr-al portion being movable about said pivot means from a positionclosing the end of said vending cavity for storing a quantity of icecubes therein to a position opening the end of said vending cavity fordischarge of ice cubes stored therein.

14. The invention as defined in claim 13 and wherein said centralportion is arcuate in shape and extends between a front lip and a rea-rlip, said front lip providing means to actua-te said central portion tothe open position, and said rear lip providing a stop limiting openingmovement of said `centr-al portion.

15. The invention as defined in claim 11 and having an escutcheon platesurrounding the end of said vending chute means, and viewing windowmeans formed in said escutcheon plate to permit visual inspection of theinterior of the end of the vending chute means.

16. The invention as defined in claim 11 and having adjustable vendingchute volume control plates mounted at the end of said vending chutemeans to vary the volume of ice cubes receivable in said vending chutefrom said storage bin means.

17. An ice cube vending machine comprising ice cube manufacturing means,ice cube storage means, agitation means for agitating and mixing storedice cubes in said storage means, vending chute means connected to saidstorage means for receiving a predetermined quantity of ice cubestherefrom, delivery means for delivering a quantity of ice cubes to saidvending chute means, -delivery control means for selectively permittingor preventing delivery of ice cubes to said vending chute means, saiddelivery control means locating and maintaining all ice cubes within theconfines of said ice cube storage means and subject to agitation andmixing by said agitation means until positioned to permit delivery ofice cubes, motor means 4for actuating said delivery means and saidagitating means, motor control means operable in response to a coingene-rated signal to energize said motor means and actuate saidagitating means, a delivery means control to selectively operate saiddelivery means in response :to said coin generated signal and theposition of said agitating means, and a timing control means toperiodically energize said motor means without operating said deliverymeans to actuate said agitating means Without delivery of ice cubes fromsaid storage means.

18. An ice cube vending machine comprising storage means defining avertically extending ice cube storage area, drum means forming an icecube confining portion of said storage means, support means rotatablysupporting said drum means relative to said storage means, said drummeans being formed by a central wall portion and a side wall portionterminating in a rim portion defining an opening facing the ice -cubestorage area, an ice cube delivery slot formed in the drum means, avending chute having an inlet opening communicable with said deliveryslot, shutter means for closing said delivery slot and for connectingsaid vending chute to said storage means :through said inlet opening andsaid delivery slot and maintaining the stored ice cubes within the icecube storage area until said vending chute is selectively connected tosaid storage means, and power means to rotate said drum means inresponse to a coin generated signal to selectively connect said inletopening and said delivery slot and lill said vending chute with amixture of ice cubes from said storage means of varying freshness.

19. The invention as defined in claim 18 and having timing means toperiodically energize said power means without connecting said inlet-opening and said delivery slot and to cause Irotation of said drummeans for agitation of said ice cubes without delivery to said vendingchute.

20. The invention as defined in claim 18 and having measuring means todetermine whether said vending chute receives a full measure of icecubes during .a vending cycle, and circuit means responsive to saidmeasuring means to return the coin generating the signal initiating thevending cycle to the customer when a full measure of ice cubes are notreceived in said vending chute.

21. An ice cube vending machine comprising a storage bin defined bysubstantially vertically extending side wall means and bottom wallmeans, a rim portion formed in said storage bin and defining asubstantially circular opening lying in an inclined plane extendingbetween the side walls, a drum rotatably mounted in said circularopening and having a central wall portion extending substantiallyparallel to said plane and being spaced therebelow, a peripheral sidewall portion provided around said drum and extending upwardly from saidcentral wall portion toward said storage 'bin and terminating in a drumrim spaced closely adjacent said rim potion and foming a substantiallycoextensive surface therewith, a portion -of said drum forming thelowermost area in said storage bin whereby the lowermost layers of icecubes in said storage 'bin will be received in said drum, shaft meansrotatably supporting said drum land being drivingly connected thereto,an ice cube dispensing slot formed in `the central wall portion of saiddrum, scoop means provided in said drum adjacent said dispensing slot,and vending means associated with said drum to selectively deliverpredetermined quantities of ice cubes from said storage bin through saiddispensing slot.

22. The invention as defined in claim 21 and wherein said Vending meanscomprises a shutter plate freely rotatably mounted on said shaft meansbeneath said bottom wall, slot means formed in said shutter plate andbeing located for alignment with said dispensing slot in said bottomwall, a vending chute, a vending chute inlet opening being located foralignment with said dispensing slot and said slot means, power means torotate said drum through said shaft means, latch means to selectivelydrivingly connect said drum to said shutter plate with said slot meansmisaligned relative to said dispensing slot and said shutter plateclosing said dispensing slot and to cause rotative movement of saidshutter plate with said drum means, stop means to locate said shutterplate with said slot means in .alignment With said inlet opening, andlatch Irelease means to release said latch means and permit said drum torotate .relative to said shutter plate until said dispensing slot movesthrough and beyond a position of lalignment with said slot means andsaid inlet opening Whereat said vending chute is filled with ice cubesto a position whereat said shutter plate again closes said dispensingslot.

23. In an ice cube vending machine, a power source, a coin collectionand return mechanism, power driven ice cube dispensing means, an icecube dispensing chute, a gate controlling movement of ice cubes throughsaid chute, latch means to lock said gate in a closed position relativeto said chute to prevent ice cubes from moving therethrough, means tomeasure the volume of ice cubes in said chute, means to generate avending cycle initiating signal in response to the deposit of a coin orcoins in said coin collection and return mechanism, means to actuatesaid ice cube dispensing means in response to said initiating signal,means to prevent actuation of said ice cube dispensing means when Saidlatch means is inoperative and said gate is unlocked, means to preventactuation of said ice cube dispensing means when an insuicient supply ofice cubes is available for delivery of a full measure of ice cubes,means to return the coin or coins when said ice cube dispensing means isinoperative, means to return the coin or coins when said ice cubedispensing means is operative but fails to deliver a full measure of icecubes, and means to collect the coin or coins only when a full measureof ice cubes are dispensed into said chute.

24. Ice cube dispensing apparatus for simultaneously ydispensing aquantity of ice cubes comprising ice cube storage means providing an icecube storage space for a numerable amount of ice cubes, rotatable icecube supporting means and fixed ice cube conning means forming the sideand bottom Walls of and dening said storage space, ice cube dispensingmeans for dispensing -a numerable amount of ice cubes including passagemeans extending through said rotatable ice cube supporting means, anddrive means for rotating said ice cube supporting means relative to saidfixed ice cube confining means to selectively open and close saidpassage means to cause movement of a numerable amount of ice cubes insaid storage space through said passage means.

A 25. The invention as'dened in claim 24 and having control meansoperable in response to a coin Vgenerated signal to actuate said drivemeans for dispensing ice cubes from said storage means and operableintermittently without a coin generated signal to actuate said drivemeans for agitation of ice cubes in said storage means to prevent fusionthereof.

26. In an ice cube vending machine operable by a coin generated signalthrough vending cycles causing delivery of predetermined quantities ofice cubes from a storage space to a vending chute, agitating means toagitate all ice cubes in said storage space at times other than timesduring said vending cycles, and control means to intermittently actuatesaid agitating means only to an extent su'icient to prevent fusion ofsaid ice cubes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,741,033 12/1929Neidlinger 221--203 X 2,597,515 5/1952 Nitsch 62381 X 3,196,625 7/ 1965Nicolaus 222--146 X References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,290,090 1/ 1919 Cole.

. 2,421,835 6/ 1947 Durant. 2,791,887 5 1957 Hennig. 2,804,996 9/1957Werner et al. 2,957,604 10/ 1960 Goldman et al.V 2,969,650 1/ 1961Eshenburg et al. 2,986,897 6/1961 Howard. 3,034,312 5/1962 Harle.

3,144,965 8/1964 Burton et al.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Examiner.

1. AN ICE CUBE VENDING MACHINE COMPRISING ICE CUBE MANUFACTURING MEANSFOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ICE CUBES, STORAGE BIN MEANS PROVIDING AN ICECUBE STORAGE AREA FOR ICE CUBES MANUFACTURED IN SAID ICE CUBEMANUFACTURING MEANS, ICE CUBE DELIVERY MEANS CONNECTING SAID ICE CUBEMANUFACTURING MEANS AND SAID STORAGE BIN MEANS FOR DELIVERING ICE CUBESTO SAID STORAGE BIN MEANS, MOVABLE ICE CUBE AGITATING AND DISPENSINGMEANS PROVIDED IN SAID STORAGE BIN MEANS AND FORMING A PART OF THE ICECUBE STORAGE AREA ENCLOSURE AND INCLUDING THE LOWERMOST PORTIONS OF SAIDSTORAGE BIN MEANS, WHEREBY ALL OF THE ICE CUBES IN SAID STORAGE BINMEANS ARE AT LEAST PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID ICE CUBE AGITATING ANDDISPENSING MEANS AND ARE SUBJECT TO AGITATION DURING MOVEMENT THEREOF,ICE CUBE VENDING MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID STORAGE BIN MEANS AT APOINT SPACED ABOVE THE LOWERMOST PORTIONS OF SAID STORAGE BIN MEANS ANDADAPTED TO RECEIVE PREDETERMINED QUANTITIES OF ICE CUBES FROM SAIDSTORAGE BIN MEANS, AND POWER MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID ICE CUBE AGITATINGAND DISPENSING MEANS AND MOVE ICE CUBES FROM SAID STORAGE BIN MEANS INTOSAID ICE CUBE VENDING MEANS BY MOVEMENT OF ICE CUBES FROM THE LOWERMOSTPORTIONS OF SAID STORAGE BIN MEANS UPWARDLY TO SAID POINT SPACEDTHEREABOVE.